Akai Pro MPC Live - Battery Optimization

Your MPC Live is capable of handling complex processing when sequencing MIDI data and audio. Just like an operating system on your computer, steps can be taken to optimize your workflow to experience the best possible performance. This article will cover some basic guidelines for optimizing the MPC Live's battery life.

Contents

Battery Management

Charging and Tracking Battery Usage

The MPC Live can be powered in two ways - via a wall power outlet or by the built-in rechargeable lithium-ion battery.

To charge your MPC Live, connect the power input to a wall power outlet with the adapter that is included in the box. At the rear of the unit, you will see a charging indicator light behind the upper right portion of the vent above the power button - this will illuminate when the MPC is charging. The light will turn off when the MPC is disconnected from power or has completed charging. The MPC can remain connected to a power source after it has completed charging - this will not cause it any harm.

Depending on how much you are demanding from the hardware (sample and sequence processing, output, etc.) the battery can provide up to 6 hours of continuous use on a full charge. The MPC Live's battery status can be checked at any time by selecting the System Resources icon. System Resources is represented by a battery icon at the upper right portion of the display in the Main modes. In the Menu display, the battery icon and charge percentage will be displayed at the upper right portion of the display.

When the MPC Live's battery reaches 10% charge, it will prompt you with a System Resources popup. This popup notification will display the current level of battery charge, the current CPU usage level, and the amount of RAM being used. From this notification, you can save your project, purge samples in your project, and clear the notification. When the MPC Live reaches a low level of charge, connect the power adapter to begin charging the battery and avoid losing unsaved progress in your project.

Tips for Maintaining Battery Life

If you are using your MPC Live for extended sessions on battery power, you can optimize its display settings for the longest battery life. There are several settings that can easily be adjusted in the MPC Live's preferences that will help save battery power. Press the Menu button followed by the gearicon at the upper portion of the display to get to MPC's Preferences.

Hardware > Screen options

Screen Dimming - Use this field to select the time interval at which the MPC's display automatically dims. The available settings are: Never, 1 minute, 2 minutes, 5 minutes, and 10 minutes. For the best performance on battery power, select 1 or 2 minutes in this field.

Screen Brightness - Use this field to select the brightness of the display. The available settings are Day or Night. Selecting Day will yield a brighter display to help compensate for screen glare during the daytime. Night yields a dimmer display. For the best performance on battery power, select Night in this field.

Power On Screen - Use this field to enable or disable the Power On Screen. When Power On Screen is enabled, the user will have to press and hold a location on the screen when powering on the MPC in order for it to completely power on. If the user does not press and hold the location on the screen, the MPC Live will automatically power off after about 30 seconds. Enabling the Power On Screen setting will help prevent the MPC's battery from draining in the event that it is accidentally powered on. The options for the Power On Screen setting are: Never, When On Battery, and Always. For the best performance on battery power, select When On Battery or Always.

Auto Save

If you are running low on battery, the Auto Save function can be a lifesaver - Auto Save will automatically save your project at a set interval of time. Enable AutoSave from the MPC Live's Preferences menu under the Auto Save tab. The intervals for Auto Save are 1 minute, 2 minutes, 5 minutes, and 10 minutes.

Bluetooth and WIFI

If you are running the MPC Live on battery power and are not using the Bluetooth or WI-FI connections, it is advisable to turn these wireless connections off. You can edit Bluetooth and WI-FI settings from the MPC Live's Preferences screen. Every little bit helps!